At an altitude of 2,883 metres and nestled among the glaciers and imposing peaks of the Valais Alps, the new Monte Rosa mountain refuge rises from the icy landscape like a giant sparkling shard of rock crystal.

From the medieval Old Town of Berne to the futuristic city of Brasilia, from the tiny convent of Müstair to the imposing cathedral of Chartres, from the fertile terraced vineyards of Lavaux to the vast desert of Ténéré – all have one thing in common: they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Quality, precision, uniqueness, reliability, tradition, design, innovation … these are just a few of the words that sum up the Swiss watchmaking industry – an industry which manages to produce timepieces that are diminutive yet highly complex, traditional yet state-of-the art.

Switzerland is synonymous with mountains. Not only do they cover one third of the country’s surface area, but they are also of major historical, geopolitical and economic importance. The mountains, for example, have been the selling point of the Swiss tourist industry for more than 100 years.

Bread

Bread baking is a centuries-old tradition in Switzerland. The variety of breads reflects regional preferences and tastes. The German-speaking Swiss tend to prefer their bread darker than their French- and Italian-speaking neighbours. However, as people have become more health-conscious, white bread is increasingly losing ground to brown varieties.

Each canton has its own particular style of loaf. In Graubünden, the loaf is ring-shaped and made from a mixture of wheat and rye flour. The typical Jura loaf is decorated with the cantonal coat-of-arms. The Ticino loaf, made from white flour, is made up of several little loaves put together. Rye bread from the canton of Valais is the only Swiss bread to have the AOP label (protected designation of origin). There is also an array of special festive breads, such as “Cuchaule” from the canton of Fribourg, a saffron-infused brioche loaf served during “Bénichon/Chilbi” (harvest festival).

Pastries

Switzerland also has a large assortment of traditional biscuits. They include “Läckerli” (made from wheat flour, honey, sugar, candied fruit and nuts), “Hüppen” (rolled and filled wafers) and “Bricelets/Offleten”, wafer-thin waffle biscuits. There are also a number of specialities that are served on the Feast of St Nicholas and during Advent, such as “Lebkuchen” (gingerbread), “Biberli” (marzipan-filled gingerbread), and “Grittibänz”, little leavened man-shaped bread rolls.